How the State of the Union address has changed over time

From Washington to Trump, Iowa State political science professors feel the State of the Union address has drifted from its original purpose.

The State of the Union address, a requirement by Article Two of the Constitution, used to be much more conversational but has evolved into something with more political fuel.

Before the media attention and political energy of modern State of the Union addresses, Mack Shelley, a political science professor, described the address of the president as wandering over to Congress to inform on achievements and future plans.

Though, at the start of the U.S. Government, there were no political parties and when they formed, the vice president was still the opposite party of the president, so the address remained non-partisan.